Improvement in dry-pressing printed sheets



V C. H, WESTON. Dry-Pressing Printed-Sheets.

' Patented Dec. 29,1IB74..

INVENTOR I Mwwm v Attomeys WITNESSES cflrm W,

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIGE.

CHARLES H. WESTON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HISRIGHT TO JOHN DENNIS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRV-PRESSING PRINTED SHEETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,340, dated December29, 1874; application filed July 29, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WEsToN, ofLowell, in the county of M iddlesex and in the State of Massachusetts,haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in the application ofhollow steam-plates for finishing printed matter, such as books andpamphlets; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon making a part ofthis specification.

The nature of my invention consists in a process for finishing printedpaper, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. 1'

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to use the same, I will now proceed to describe the manner inwhich my process may be carried out, referring to the annexed drawing,in which Figure 1 is longitudinal vertical section of a press, in whichhollow plates are used for finishing printed paper; and Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section of one form of hollow plate.

A represents a screw-press, of any suitable construction, in whichhollow press-plates B B are used. The interior of these plates may bearranged in any desired manner, and these are to be heated from theinside by'steam or other suitable means.

Printed paper, such as is used in books, pamphlets, &c., has heretoforebeen pressed between solid plates. With my process the printed sheetsare first put between press-paperssay, seventy or more-as follows:First, a press-paper, then a printed sheet, then a press-paper, andanother printed sheet, and so on, until is made a pack of seventy ormore. The whole is then placed between the series of plates, and thepressure is brought to bear. on them. Steam is then let into the hollowplates for from two to four hours, after which cold water is immediatelyinducted into the plates where the steam has been. The steamheat actsupon the printed sheets, and dries By quickly admitting cold water intothe plates, closely following the steam, the plates and the sheets aresuddenly cooled, which sets the pressing, very much enlivens the colorson the sheets, and the printed matter can be quickly gotten out from theplates, thereby saving time in the finishing process, to allow otherunfinished sheets tovbe put in, and the finishing process quicklycarried on.

In the old method it will take about twentyfour hours to get a pressingout. By my process I can take four pressings in twentyfour hours, and domuch better-finished Work.

In finishing book printed matter with my process, the pressing is set sothat the sheets can be bound in much less thickness than by the oldmethod, and the matter retains its pressing, and will not swell inbinding.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The withindescribed process for finishing printed sheets, consisting ofplacing the matter under pressure between hollow pressplates, into whichsteam is admitted a suitable length of time, immediately after whichcold water is admitted into the plates while the matter is still betweenthe same, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this6th day of J uly, 1874.

CHARLES H. WESTON.

